Rahim Kanani sends along this interview with Amaka Megwalu on the topic of international aid and development in Africa, international justice, and the Gacaca court system in Rwanda. The first half of the interview discusses the pay differences between local staff and international staff in humanitarian aid:
For others, particularly some non-expatriate staff, the aid industry itself is perceived as unjust. These staff members point to significant discrepancies in salaries between expatriate and national staff even when it seems that both do similar work. They point to a practice of systematically treating expat and national staff differently. They note the custom of having most management positions filled by expat staff. And they note the sometimes relatively lavish conditions in which expat staff live.
But even those who grumble seem grateful for the opportunity to contribute in some way to the development of their communities. They are grateful for their relatively well paid jobs. They recognize that circumstances necessitate the presence of international development agencies, with all of their imperfections. As a national staff colleague said to me in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), ‘no self-respecting nation should have droves of expatriates working in its public sector. It is humiliating in many ways, but for now it is necessary in the DRC.’
